Child carriers

ABSTRACT

A child carrier comprises a harness and a pouch. The harness is designed to be worn by a person wishing to carry a child and the pouch is designed to receive a child that the person wishes to carry. The harness includes a hip belt, a frame mounted on the hip belt and a load-transmitting fastener formation carried on or forming part of the frame. The arrangement is such that, in use, the majority of the weight of the pouch and its contents are transferred via the frame to the hip belt and thus to the pelvic region of the person wearing the harness.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to child carriers used on the front of aparent/carer.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Children from newly-born to 3-4 years of age may be transported incarriers strapped to either the front or the back of the torso. “Frontcarriers”, as they are called, place the child on the chest of theperson carrying them and “back carriers” place the child on the back ofthe person carrying them.

Generally, front carriers are used until the child is around 12 monthsold, after which (as the child's weight increases) a back carriertypically becomes the more comfortable choice.

Choosing ways of transporting a young child is a major issue for parentsand while there are numerous transporters available in the market, theycan be classified generally as follows:

-   -   1. “Car seats” fit into a vehicle and are generally restrained        by the vehicle's fitted seat belts.    -   2. “Strollers” (or “Pushchairs” and “Buggys” as they are also        known) are wheeled seats into which a child can be strapped and        then pushed by the parent/carer.    -   3. “Front carriers” in which the child (generally between 1-12        months old) is strapped to the chest of the parent/carer.    -   4. “Back carriers” in which the child (generally between 1-3        years old) is seated within a frame (that is similar in        principle to a rucksack frame), which is then strapped to the        back of the parent/carer.    -   5. “Prams” are wheeled cots into which the child is placed and        then pushed by the parent/carer.

While popular in the past, prams have reduced significantly inpopularity as society has become more vehicle-dependent because they arebulky and most designs do not collapse to fit the small storage spacesavailable in the car trunk (or “boot”) or on public transport (buses,trains, planes, taxis etc).

Within each of the other four separate classes of child transporterwhich are popular (namely, car seats, strollers, front and backcarriers) there are many different options from which a parent/carer canchoose. However, modern lifestyles are such that a single class oftransporter is generally unable to satisfy all the requirements forchild transportation which arise under all circumstances. As aconsequence, parents/carers find it necessary to purchase transportersfrom two or more different classes, and sometimes three or even all fourif they have to cope with more then one child at a time, or children ofdifferent ages.

Many individual day-to-day activities for a parent/carer involvetransporting a child in several different ways. Shopping, for example,may involve driving to a shopping centre with the child in a car seatand then transferring them to either a front or back carrier, or to astroller. Such transfers are reversed during the return journey. Whilein the shopping centre the parent/carer might wish to transfer the childfrom a stroller to their lap while they stop for a rest, or from a frontor back carrier to their lap, or from a front carrier to a changingtable for a diaper (or “nappy”) change.

Many parents/carers will have a car seat and a stroller. Many otherswill have these plus either a front carrier or back carrier, or evenboth these. The ease with which it is possible to transfer a child fromone class of transporter to another (“inter-modal transfer”) can becomea real issue for a parent/carer. For example, the ease with which achild (either asleep or awake) can be transferred from a car seat to astroller, or from a car seat to a front carrier, can become a factor indetermining whether they even buy a front carrier at all.

Manufacturers of front carriers have not so far addressed this issue ofinter-modal transfer satisfactorily, and it is an object of the presentinvention to make such transfer much simpler.

Manufacturers of the five common classes of child transporter have alsotended to focus on the issues of transporting a child between the homeand another destination, ignoring the fact that it is also necessary tocarry the child within the home, often while simultaneously undertakingother tasks (washing, cooking, cleaning, attending to the needs ofanother child etc). Frequently, carriage within the home can involveextended periods of time, while the child is not asleep and while itcannot simply be left safely to sleep in a cot. The Invention alsoaddresses this need.

A well-designed front carrier offers a parent/carer distinct advantagesby comparison with a stroller because the child is able to maintaineye-contact with the wearer and this assists bonding. The child is withthe parent/carer all of the time and is never left unattended, yet theparent/carer is able to keep both hands free for other tasks. Mostimportantly, the child is also kept up high and away from risk.

A front carrier is a better and more suitable form of transporter to usethan a stroller because:

-   -   the child is held up high, away from the danger of swinging bags        on crowded pedestrian sidewalks and streets, away from the        danger of misplaced feet on an escalator, and safe from the        unwanted attention of dogs and other children;    -   using a front carrier keeps the wearer's hands free for other        tasks;    -   it eliminates the need to collapse and fold up a stroller when        getting onto and off public transport, and the need to        simultaneously carry the child, the stroller and the shopping on        to such transport, while potentially also holding the hand of        another child;    -   it eliminates the need for storage space to be provided for a        stroller either when parked or when collapsed;    -   the parent/carer is able to monitor the child's behaviour easily        and more closely at all times.

Despite these advantages which a front carrier is able to offer over theuse of a stroller, it is unfortunate that the various difficultiesexperienced by parents/carers with the use of the current designs offront carriers (which are described below) have resulted in a situationwhere parents/carers are deterred from using front carriers.Parents/carers are consequently greatly inconvenienced and children areplaced at greater risk.

Current designs of front child carriers all follow the same generalformat. A reinforced pocket is used to carry the child and to thispocket are attached a number of straps. Typically, two straps are passedover the shoulders while another is passed around the waist. The ends ofthe straps are clipped together, the child is inserted into the pocketand the straps are adjusted to try and bring the child to a comfortableposition on the chest, taking into account of the size of the wearer.Any differences between existing front carrier products are limited tothe branding, quality, texture and colour of materials and fasteningsused.

The child can be placed in the pocket so that it faces the wearer(should the child need to sleep or is unable to support its own head),or it can be placed in the pocket facing away from the wearer (shouldthe child desire the environmental stimulation and is sufficientlydeveloped to be able to safely support its own head). To rotate thechild from one position to the other requires the wearer to remove thechild from the pocket, turn them around and then re-insert them into thepocket; a process which is difficult, time-consuming and which somefront carrier manufacturers recommend the wearer be seated for.

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical current design of front carrier.

The pocket 1 into which the child is inserted generally has three setsof straps attached to it. The shoulder straps 2 pass one over eachshoulder, becoming strap 4 which emerges under the arm and under thebreast. Typically, there is adjustment provided to strap 4 in order toshorten or lengthen the strap, to position the pocket at the correctheight (it is generally recommended that, with the child positionedcorrectly, the wearer should be able to kiss the top of the child'shead). Straps 2 are generally fixed to the top of the pocket, and straps4 clipped/fastened to the side of the pocket.

Strap 3 passes around the waist and is generally clipped/fastened to theside of the pocket below straps 4. It can be adjusted to suit thewearer's waist size and is intended to sit around the waist.

Once the carrier has been attached to the wearer, the child is insertedinto the pocket. This entails fastening and adjusting additional strapsaround the child, to suit the child's size.

With the carrier in its correct position, the weight of the child istaken mostly on straps 2. The function of strap 3 is generally toprevent movement of the child/pocket both sideways and away from thewearer during use.

One manufacturer has developed a two-part system, where the harness andthe pouch are separate items. A wearer can don the same form of harnessshown in FIG. 1 and then fix the child in its pouch to the harness insuch a way that the child faces towards the wearer. This harnesscontinues to transfer the majority of the child's weight through straps2 to the shoulders, and rotation of the child (to face outwards) alsocontinues to be an issue.

The limitations of this generic form of front carrier design are asfollows:

-   -   1. The child's weight is transferred mainly or completely to the        shoulders, leading to the transfer of load to the small muscle        groups in the shoulders and subsequently also to the lower        back—both are uncomfortable and unacceptable over continuous        periods.    -   2. The side straps (those which circumnavigate the torso) cause        discomfort to male and female wearers alike.    -   3. The individual straps and buckles are easily confused and        twisted—a problem difficult to solve alone.    -   4. Adjusting the straps to change the position of the child        (relative to the wearer), and to suit the size of the wearer is        difficult.    -   5. Putting on and adjusting the carrier is a process that takes        several minutes and is not one that can be readily undertaken        outside (for example, in the rain) or when removing the child        from a car seat, especially bearing in mind that the child has        to be subsequently inserted into the pocket after the carrier is        in position; a process that some manufacturers recommend is done        whilst the wearer is seated (but which is impracticable in the        driver's seat).    -   6. It is not a simple process to turn the child round within the        pocket; the child must be extracted, rotated and re-inserted        into the pocket (again, taking into account the need for the        parent/carer to be seated).    -   7. With the child correctly positioned within the carrier, its        feet hang between the thighs when the wearer sits down, leading        to an inconvenient and undignified ‘knees-apart’ posture        (unsuitable for confined spaces and some clothing types).    -   8. If the wearer leans forward when seated, perhaps to pick up        something dropped onto the floor, the child is at risk of being        squashed and/or suffocated.    -   9. It is widely felt that this typical design (and its lack of        suitable adjustment) results in the child's relative position        (to the wearer's face) being too low, and as such hinders        bonding and communication between adult and child.

Due to the difficulty of donning this generic design of carrier andinserting the child into the pocket, inter-modal transfer from a carseat to a front carrier is more complicated than many wearers areprepared to tolerate. Consequently, the majority of inter-modaltransfers are from a car seat to a stroller, which is quicker andeasier. However, this then leaves the parent/carer with both handsoccupied (needed to push and steer the stroller), and potentially unableto simultaneously hold the hand of another toddler and also steer aseparate shopping cart (or “trolley”). The child is then placed at riskin crowded shopping aisles or walkways, and the parent/carer is unableto use escalators without putting the child at further risk.

The child carrier of the present invention addresses all theshortcomings of current front carrier designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a front childcarrier which has two separate parts:

-   -   the first part is a harness which the wearer can put on and        adjust at any time prior to needing to transport the child;    -   the second part is a pouch which the child wears in much the        same way as it would an external garment. This second part        incorporates a large hook plus other fastenings on both the        front and rear of the pouch, which enable the child to be        attached securely to the harness, facing either towards or away        from the wearer.

The harness preferably incorporates a simple frame having a cooperatingformation designed to receive either the hook on the front of the pouchor the hook on the rear of the pouch. The frame transfers the weight ofthe child from the hook to a padded hip belt, and this transfers most ofthe child's weight directly to the pelvic region, leaving only a minorpart of the child's weight to be taken by the shoulders.

The child carrier of the present invention overcomes all of thelimitations of current front carriers in the following ways

-   -   1. The child's weight is transferred largely to the hips/pelvis.        This reduces considerably any load taken by the shoulders (and        subsequently, the lower back). The Invention is more comfortable        to wear and can be worn for longer periods of time, making it        suitable for longer outings and extended use within the home.    -   2. The harness requires just the hip belt ends to be clipped        together, reducing to a minimum the overall number of straps        that must be clipped together.    -   3. The hip belt and shoulder straps can be adjusted easily and        comfortably.    -   4. The harness can be donned before beginning a journey and can        be worn while driving. Alternatively, it can be donned quickly        on arrival, whilst standing. The child can be fitted into the        pouch before a journey begins and can travel in a car seat while        wearing it. On arrival at a destination, the child can be        removed from the car seat and clipped directly to the harness,        making inter-modal transfer very simple and quick.    -   5. The pouch/child is very easily and quickly fastened        to/unfastened from the harness/wearer. This makes turning the        child around to face either away from/towards the wearer        completely hassle-free.    -   6. If the wearer wishes to sit down, the child can be simply and        quickly unhooked from the harness and be seated normally on the        parent/carer's lap.        In the act of sitting down, while wearing the harness, the        distance between waist and shoulders shortens. This causes the        top of the load-bearing frame to pivot outwards (away from the        wearer) which automatically avoids the top of the frame pressing        upwards into the underside of the bosom/into the rib cage.    -   7. If the wearer wishes to bend down to the floor or squeeze        through a narrow opening, the child/pouch can be very quickly        and easily detached from the harness, and then simply        re-attached after the manoeuvre has been completed.    -   8. It is envisaged that a manufacturer of the Invention will        develop a range of complementary accessories, which will include        a fabric cover designed to fasten to a standard dining chair,        which incorporates the same fixing arrangement as the harness        itself, and to which the child in its pouch may be quickly        attached after it has been detached from the harness. In this        way such an accessory can transform any dining chair into a        temporary and secure high-chair.

By transferring the majority of the load to the hips and therebyimproving comfort by comparison with current generic front carrierdesigns, and by incorporating a simple hook arrangement on the harnesswhich makes it possible for the child to be simply and quickly attached,detached and rotated, the Invention provides significant advantages.

Firstly, a child can be carried for longer periods more comfortably thanwith existing alternatives. This makes it possible for a front carrierto be used as a real alternative to a stroller, leaving theparent/carer's hands completely free for other tasks (for example,carrying shopping, holding the hand of another child, pushing a shoppingcart) and with the child safely on the parent/carer's chest and up outof harm's way. A wearer can use public transport or a car without withthe associated difficulties of folding, carrying, stowing and unfoldinga stroller simultaneously.

Secondly, the improved comfort (through improved weight transfer) makesit viable for a parent/carer to carry the child for longer periods thanthey were previously able to (enabling, for example, the parent/carer tocarry the child on longer outings or while the parent/carer isundertaking normal daily tasks around the home).

Thirdly, it makes inter-modal transfer much simpler. For example, achild can be transferred quickly from car seat to front carrier, fromharness to high-chair, from harness to lap, or rotated to face awayfrom/towards the parent/carer far easier than previously possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the known form of child carrier referred to above,

FIG. 2 shows the pouch and the harness of the child carrier of thepresent invention, and

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the harness of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The pouch 20 which contains the child is separate from the harness 21which is worn by the parent/carer. Wide shoulder straps 22 are linked toa wide and padded hip belt 8 by a back support 23 that is shown in FIG.3. The shoulder straps 22 can be adjusted at 24. The harness 21 and thepouch 20 incorporate a large flat hook 5 b and a corresponding socket 5a which clip together. The socket 5 a is part of the harness 21 and thehook 5 b is affixed to the pouch 20.

The pouch 20 comprises front and back panels that define a compartmentwithin which a child can be placed and there are openings through whichthe legs and the arms of the child can extend. The pouch 20 has a hook 5b on both the front and the back (to enable the child to facerespectively towards or away from the wearer of the harness 21). Whenone of the hooks 5 b is inserted into the socket 5 a, it serves totransfer the weight of the pouch 20 and its contents, i.e. the child, tothe harness 21.

The harness 21 and the pouch 20 also incorporate other fixings 6 a and 6b. The lugs 6 b on the pouch 20 fit into the quick-release latches 6 aon the harness 21. The function of the fixings 6 a and 6 b is to preventthe upper portion of the pouch 20 deforming and becoming detached fromthe harness under the movement of the child and/or wearer. Thequick-release latches 6 a include rotatable formations that can be movedbetween locking positions (in which the lugs 6 b cannot be separatedfrom the quick-release latches 6 a) and release positions (in which thelugs 6 b can readily be separated from the quick-release latches 6 a).The shoulder straps 22, on which the quick-release latches 6 a aremounted extend downwardly below the quick-release latches 6 a and arejoined together to form a front strap portion 25 that is connected to aframe 7 adjacent the socket 5 a.

The pouch 20 has lugs 6 b on both the front and the back (to enable thechild to face respectively towards or away from the wearer).

The socket 5 a forms an integral part of the frame 7 and the arrangementis such that the majority of the weight of the child is transferred bythe frame 7 to a hip belt 8 and through that directly to the pelvic areaof the wearer. The socket 5 a may alternatively be a separate componentfixed to the centre of the top of the frame 7. The ends of the frame 7are formed with longitudinally extending slits (as can be seen from FIG.2) and the ends of the frame 7 fit securely into pockets 9 around thehip belt 8. As can be seen from FIG. 2, there is a series of pockets 9extending around the hip belt 8 to permit adjustment of the hip belt 8at 10 to suit different waist sizes.

The frame 7 has a horizontally extending main body portion, at thecentre of which the socket 5a is located, and downwardly extending endportions such that the frame 7 as a whole has a configuration similar toa downwardly facing C. The socket 5a has an upwardly facing open mouthto receive the hook 5 b, which comprises a substantially flat plate thatis so shaped that it is a close fit in the socket 5 a. When a pouch 20containing a child is attached to the harness 21, the majority of theweight of the child is transferred via the hook 5 b and the socket 5 ato the frame 7 and then to the hip belt 8.

The configuration of the pouch 20 can be adjusted from time to time asthe child grows. The adjustable strap at 11 accommodates the child'sheight while adjustment at 12 accommodates growth in the volume of thechild's torso.

FIG. 3 illustrates the back of the harness. As can be seen, the shoulderstraps 22 are linked to the hip belt 8 by a back support 23 which cancontain an integral reinforcing support within the lower back area, toensure the transferred downward force applied to hip belt 8 at pockets 9is spread across the lower back, and therefore prevents hip belt 8 from‘twisting’.

As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 7 is in the form of a rigid loop the endsof which fit into pockets 9 on the hip belt 8, with fixings 5 a and 5 bbeing a hook 5 b on the pouch 20 and socket 5 a on frame 7; and fixings6 a and 6 b being lugs 6 b on the pouch 20 that fit into quick-releaselatches 6 a on the shoulder straps 22.

In another embodiment, it is possible to replace the rigid loop 7 with atriangular frame which incorporates the socket for reception of a hookbut also replaces buckle 10, in which case the ends of the hip belt 8may connect to this triangular frame, and be adjusted, at the hips.Different forms of lugs and latches 6 a and 6 b may be used. Theprinciples of transferring the majority of the child's weight to thehips of the wearer of the harness, and the ability to easily and quicklyrotate the pouch/child will remain and are of major importance.

In the inward-facing position, it is widely accepted that the style ofpouch 20 illustrated in FIG. 2 is suitable for a child that is more thanone month old. In the outward-facing position, this same pouch issuitable for a child sufficiently mature enough to be able to supporthis/her own head (commonly recognised as being between 3 and 6 months).

A pouch can be used which is in the form of a sling, to suit anewly-born child. The child can lay in the sling either horizontally orwith its head slightly raised relative to its feet. The sling isattached to the harness 21 by a fastening corresponding to the hook 5 b,and with the handles of the sling attached to the upper part of theharness 21 using the same kind of fixings as at 6 b. This enables theharness 21 to be used continuously from the birth of a baby.

The harness 21 and the pouch 20 can be made from shower-proof, insulatedpadded materials, to suit winter use or from lighter weight breathablefabrics to suit summer use or use in a hot country. Either can bestyled, coloured or patterned to suit current vogue, or male/female andsmart/casual/sporty fashions.

The back of the harness 21 can be fitted with a carrying bag, which maybe used to carry items such as creams, diapers, feeding bottle, spareclothing etc for the child. This bag may be a rucksack that clips to theexisting harness. The centre portion of the lower-back harness panel canalso be removed to aid cooling to suit designs for hotter climates.

The harness may be so designed that it is also the frame for a backcarrier, simultaneously enabling one child to be carried on the back ofthe parent/carer and another on the front.

A complementary fabric panel incorporating fixings 5 a and 6 a may bedesigned to fasten onto a normal dining chair and used to hold a childin either a pouch or a sling temporarily, converting the dining chairinto a temporary ‘high chair’.

A sun shade may be provided, which may either be integral to orattachable to pouch 20. This would serve to protect the child from thedamaging effects of the sun.

A complementary collapsible umbrella may also be provided which includesa formation designed to fit into one of the pockets 9 of the hip belt 8so as to shelter the child and wearer, while continuing to leave thewearer's hands free for other tasks.

1. A child carrier comprising a harness and a pouch, the harness beingdesigned to be worn by a person wishing to carry a child and the pouchbeing designed to receive a child that the person wishes to carry, theharness including a hip belt, a frame mounted on the hip belt and aload-transmitting fastener formation carried on or forming part of theframe, and the pouch having a load-transmitting fastener formation thatis engageable with the load-transmitting fastener formation on theharness whereby, in use, the two load-transmitting fastener formationscan be interengaged such that the majority of the weight of the pouchand its contents are transferred via the frame to the hip belt and thusto the hips of the person wearing the harness.
 2. A child carrier asclaimed in claim 1, in which the pouch has front and back surfaces oneach of which there is a load-transmitting fastener formation engageablewith the load-transmitting fastener formation on the harness.
 3. A childcarrier as claimed in claim 1, in which the load-transmitting fastenerformation on the harness comprises a socket
 4. A child carrier asclaimed in claim 1, in which the frame has a configuration correspondingsubstantially to that of a downwardly facing C.
 5. A child carrier asclaimed in claim 1, in which there are fixings on the pouch engageablewith fixings on the harness to prevent the pouch and its contents movingsideways (relative to the harness) and away from the harness/wearer. 6.A child carrier comprising a first part and a second part, the firstpart being in the form of a harness designed to be worn by a personcarrying a child and the second part being designed to receive a childthat the person wishes to carry, the harness including shoulder straps,a hip belt, a frame mounted on the hip belt and a load-transmittingfastener formation arranged to transmit any load that it receives to theframe, and the second part of the child carrier including aload-transmitting fastener formation that is engageable with theload-transmitting fastener formation on the harness whereby, in use, thetwo load-transmitting fastener formations can be inter-engaged such thatthe majority of the weight of the second part of the child carrier andits contents are transferred via the frame to the hip belt and thus tothe pelvic region of the person wearing the harness.
 7. A child carrieras claimed in claim 6, in which the load-transmitting fastener formationon the harness comprises a socket having an upwardly facing open mouth.8. A child carrier as claimed in claim 6, in which the hip belt isformed with a series of pockets and in which the frame of the harnesshas downwardly extending end portions selectively engageable in thepockets of the hip belt.
 9. A child carrier as claimed in claim 6, inwhich fixings are mounted on the shoulder straps of the harness and inwhich complementary fixings are provided on the second part of the childcarrier whereby the complementary fixings on the second part of thechild carrier can be engaged with the fixings on the shoulder straps toprevent the pouch and its contents moving sideways (relative to theharness) and away from the harness/wearer.
 10. A child carrier asclaimed in claim 6, in which the second part comprises a pouch havingfront and back surfaces on each of which there is a load-transmittingformation engageable with the load-transmitting formation on theharness.